Notice from the Ministry of Science and Technology on the release of key special projects such as the National Key R&D Program “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation”Application Guidelines for the First Batch of Projects in 2024
I. Project organization application workflow
- The applicant unit organizes the application in the form of a project based on the research content of the direction supported by the guide. The project should be applied as a whole and must cover all assessment indicators in the corresponding guideline. The project applicant unit recommends one scientific researcher as the project leader.
II. Application qualification requirements
- The project lead applicant and participating units should be scientific research institutes, universities and enterprises registered in mainland China, with independent legal person status,registration time is before September 30, 2022and have strong It has scientific and technological research and development capabilities and conditions, a good foundation for international cooperation, and standardized operation and management. State agencies may not take the lead or participate in the declaration.
The project’s lead applicant unit, project participating units and project team members have a good integrity status, and there are no records of serious untrustworthy behavior in scientific research during the disciplinary execution period or credit “blacklist” records in related social fields.
An applicant can only apply for the same project through a single recommendation unit, and multiple applications and repeated applications are not allowed.
- The person in charge of the project (topic) must have a senior professional title or a doctoral degree,was born after January 1, 1963, and work on the project for no less than 6 months each year.
- In principle, the person in charge of the project (topic) should be the proposer of the main research idea of the project (topic) and the scientific and technical personnel who actually preside over the research. Public servants of state agencies at the central and local levels (including other personnel who perform science and technology plan management functions) are not allowed to apply for projects (topics).
- The person in charge of the project (topic) is limited to applying for one project (topic); the person in charge of the ongoing research project of the National Key R&D Plan and the Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030-Major Project shall not take the lead or participate in the applied project (topic). The project leader can participate in the application project (topic).
The total number of projects (topics) applied for by project (topic) leaders and project backbones and the National Key R&D Plan, Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Projects shall not exceed 2; the National Key R&D Plan, Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Projects The person in charge of the ongoing research project (topic) and the project backbone shall not withdraw from the ongoing research project due to applying for a new project. After withdrawing from the project R&D team, in principle, you are not allowed to take the lead or participate in the application for new national key R&D plan projects during the original project execution period.
For the key special projects of “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” with a central fiscal special fund budget not exceeding 4 million yuan, there are no restrictions on other key special projects (topics) of the national key R&D plan, but other key projects The person in charge of the ongoing research project of the special project shall not participate in the application of such unrestricted projects;For “strategic scientific and technological innovation cooperation” with a central fiscal special fund budget not exceeding 4 million yuanKey special Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan projects, and Other key special projects (topics) of the National Key R&D Program and key special projects (topics) of “Strategic Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” are not limited to each other, but other key special projects and key special projects (topics) of “Strategic Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” are not Hong Kong and Macao. The person in charge of the current research project in Taiwan is not allowed to participate in applying for such unrestricted projects. The total number of applications submitted by the person in charge of the project (topic) and the two types of unrestricted projects under research is limited to one. The total number of applications for project backbones and unrestricted projects in the above two types of research is limited to one.
At the same time, scientific researchers, as project (topic) leaders, can only preside over one key special project of “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” (including the above-mentioned unrestricted projects). The total number of applications for project (topic) leaders and project backbones and the number of key special projects under research on “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” shall not exceed 2 (including the above-mentioned unrestricted projects). The person in charge of the project (topic) can only preside over one “strategic scientific and technological innovation cooperation” key special project in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (including the above-mentioned unrestricted projects). The total number of applications for project (topic) leaders and project backbones and key special projects of “strategic scientific and technological innovation cooperation” under research shall not exceed 2 (including the above-mentioned unrestricted projects).
On-going research projects (including tasks or topics) between the execution period of the planned mission statement (including the execution period after extension) before June 30, 2024 are not within the scope of the limit.
- In principle, experts who participate in the implementation plan of key special projects or the preparation of project guides for this year cannot apply for the key special projects (topics).
- Foreign scientists and scientists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who are employed by mainland units can serve as project (subject) leaders. Full-time employees must provide valid materials for full-time employment from the mainland employer. Part-time employees must be hired by both units at the same time. Provide valid employment materials and submit them together with the project application materials.
- After the application project is accepted, in principle, the reporting unit and person in charge cannot be changed.
- The leading applicant for the “Inter-Governmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” key special project must sign a cooperation agreement with the foreign partner for this project application.
The content and methods of project cooperation should comply with the relevant laws, regulations and scientific research ethics regulations of my country and the countries (regions and international organizations) where the cooperative institutions are located. Any cooperation activities that require prior review and approval, such as those involving human genetic resources or germplasm resources, must be carried out by the applicant in advance in accordance with laws and regulations. The project can be officially approved only after all necessary procedures are completed.
All parties to the cooperation have a clear agreement or intention to agree on the ownership of future intellectual property rights and the income from achievement transformation, and they comply with the relevant provisions of my country’s laws and regulations on the ownership of intellectual property and the income from achievement transformation (an intellectual property agreement or intention agreement or memorandum must be attached) , certification letter or clarify the relevant intellectual property terms in the Sino-foreign cooperation agreement).
- Chinese units must clarify the following requirements with foreign cooperative institutions and personnel: Foreign project leaders are not allowed to cooperate with different domestic units on the same research direction and technical route to participate in multiple applications. As the foreign project leader, they apply for projects and The total number of participants in ongoing research projects shall not exceed 2. Foreign scientists who have already participated in the national key research and development plan and the Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project Research Project (topic) as foreign scientists employed in the mainland are no longer allowed to participate in the application as foreign personnel.
- For specific project application requirements, please refer to the project application guide.
Before formally submitting the project application form, each applicant unit can use the National Science and Technology Management Information System to query the status of the relevant scientific researchers undertaking the national key R&D plan and the Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030-Major Project (including tasks or topics), to avoid repeated applications.
III. Specific application methods
- Fill in the form online. All reporting units are required to fill in the application online through the National Science and Technology Management Information System as required. The China Science and Technology Exchange Center will use the application form filled out online as the basis for subsequent formal review and project review. All attachments required in the application materials must be uploaded as electronic scanned copies.
The acceptance time for project application units to fill out the application form online (except for Guideline Direction 2.1) is: 8:00 on November 1, 2023 to 16:00 on December 20, 2023.
The acceptance time for online application forms submitted by project application units in Guideline 2.1 is: 8:00 on January 5, 2024 to 16:00 on February 22, 2024.